Tag: armed forces

Stepped up mental health support for veterans of Afghanistan

Samaritans are to launch a new veterans support helpline, backed by more than half a million pounds of government funding, to provide peer-to-peer emotional support to veterans.

The new helpline is one of more than 50 projects announced today from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs Afghanistan Veterans’ Fund, totalling £5million.

Around £150k is being provided to RFEA – The Forces Employment Charity, who will improve the wellbeing of veterans through volunteering with Afghans who now live in the UK, including Afghans who worked with the UK military and were evacuated during Operation Pitting.

Other projects include:

  • Providing veterans in Scotland with opportunities to engage with mindfulness and recovery in nature, through the charity Mindfulness Scotland
  • Encouraging veterans to connect with one another through sports such as rugby, golf, climbing and horse riding.
  • Increasing access to assistance dogs for veterans struggling with their mental health in England to assistance dogs to help alleviate symptoms and triggers of PTSD.

Minister for Defence People and Veterans Leo Docherty said: “We are forever grateful to those who served in Afghanistan and members of the Afghan community who worked with them. Their courage and commitment to this country will never be forgotten.

“This targeted funding for charities across the country will ensure that, regardless of location, those who have served and their families can access services easily.”

The Afghanistan Veterans’ Fund was announced by the Prime Minister last year, following the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The fund supports the Afghanistan veteran cohort with help adjusting to civilian life.

The fund, which is being distributed by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, will also increase dedicated support mechanisms for young veterans and their families. The £5 million boost will also help increase the user friendliness and accessibility of services, better signposting veterans to the range of state and charitable services available to them.

The Samaritans project will see volunteers from the military community trained to provide peer-to-peer support by the charity, to encourage improved mental resilience and wellbeing in the armed forces community.

Chief Executive Officer of Samaritans Julie Bentley said: “Samaritans is proud to be supporting our Armed Forces community, many of whom have put their physical and mental health on the line to serve their country, with the creation of a new dedicated support service for military veterans.

“Sadly, we know from calls to our helpline that veterans consistently make up over 70% of the calls from the military community, and that they are almost twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts compared with the general population.

“That’s why it’s so important that veterans facing a crisis can easily access support and contact a trained veteran volunteer to help improve their wellbeing.”

Chief Executive Officer of RFEA – The Forces Employment Charity Alistair Halliday said: “The funding from the OVA will enable RFEA The Forces Employment Charity to deliver vital support. We will be working with UK Veterans to support Afghan people who are arriving in the UK and who worked alongside our UK Armed Forces during the 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan.

“The aim of our programme will be to enable those arriving from Afghanistan to access employment providing financial independence and inclusion in UK society. The sustained links that we will create between UK veterans, many of whom served in the Afghanistan conflict, and those arriving from Afghanistan will create long-term benefit for both groups”.

New research identifies need for better support for Service leavers

New research published today calls for more support for Services leavers who face challenges transitioning from military to civilian life.

The report, Understanding ‘Negative Transitioning’ in British Ex-Service Personnel, was conducted by a research team from the Senator George J Mitchell Institute at Queen’s University Belfast led by Professor John Brewer.

The study is one of the largest UK qualitative studies to examine the experiences of veterans who make a negative transition to civilian life.

The researchers explored three measures of negative transitioning in the 323 people they interviewed: homelessness, imprisonment, or mental ill-health. They found that overall, these individuals face the same challenges as other ex-Service personnel, but lack psychological resilience and the economic means to deal with them.

While the majority of Service leavers make a successful transition to civilian life, a minority are known to struggle. The study found the reasons for a negative transition are not limited to operational experiences whilst serving, but due to multiple factors including pre-service experiences, age of enrolment, rank, capability to make decisions, over-institutionalism in the military and the effectiveness of support services.

The study found that negative transitioning particularly affects low rank veterans who are more likely to join the military from difficult or disadvantaged backgrounds, with the career in the military providing an opportunity to improve their outcomes.

However, the research suggests that the Armed Forces can fail to adequately prepare Service leavers which can result in a lack of the emotional, cultural, and social skills needed to ensure that the life they ‘escaped’ from is not the one they return to.

The research also identified several local and regional services which support veterans who have a difficult transition, highlighting the importance of local knowledge, resources, and facilities in improving outcomes for veterans and their families.

The researchers recommend a greater focus on local support provision, whilst calling for more collaboration and cooperation between support providers on a national and regional scale to ensure no Service leaver’s needs are left unmet.

Professor Brewer said: “This is an outstanding study into a very hard-to-access group of veterans, and while they are untypical of the majority of veterans who transition successfully, they attract considerable media and public attention.

“The research addresses their lived experiences in their own words, revealing remarkable testimony of their difficulties in transitioning back to civilian life. The research also captured the views from family members and support providers. No study before has dealt with these issues in such depth and scale.”

Mike Ellicock, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust, said: “We know that most Service leavers transition successfully to civilian life, their lives enriched by their service.

“Forces in Mind Trust exists to improve transition for those who face additional challenges. This research is extremely helpful for us and those who support these individuals, in providing a greater understanding of why Service leavers might experience a negative transition. I would encourage anyone who is interested in this area to read the report in full.

“We acknowledge that significant progress has been made since this research was conducted, with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Transition Services becoming operational in that time. However, the research outlines some improvements which can be made to support those who are more likely to experience a negative transition, and we hope to see these taken forward.”

The report can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.fim-trust.org/wp-content/uploads/QUB-Negative-Transition-FINAL.pdf.

Military boosts Scotland’s vaccine roll-out programme

The number of military staff assisting with the autumn/winter vaccination programme has been increased to support the acceleration of the booster roll-out in Scotland.

With the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, all those aged 18 and over will be offered a booster jab by the end of the year with everyone aged 18-59 currently invited to book an appointment via the online portal or attend a drop-in clinic.

An additional 100 military vaccinators are joining the existing 100 staff who are working to help with the roll-out. There are also 15 nurses and six support staff currently assisting with the programme and this support will remain in place until 28 February.

The new personnel will undergo final training before delivering vaccinations from next week. Discussions are taking place to ensure they are deployed where they are needed most and this will kept under continual review with staff reassigned when appropriate.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are so grateful to everyone who has been involved in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Scotland, including the military, which has ensured more than 10.5 million doses – first, second, third and boosters – have already been delivered.

“We are now in the midst of an extremely busy period for the national autumn/winter vaccination programme with COVID-19 booster injections being offered to all those aged 18 and over.

“The emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is adding to the winter pressures usually faced by the NHS which is why we have again requested military support to complement our existing resources and ensure we can get vaccinations into arms as quickly as possible.

“Demand for boosters may mean you may have to wait in a queue at drop-in centres but we urge everyone to be patient.

“At this time it is also particularly important that we continue to take all precautions to prevent transmission. So test regularly for the virus, limit socialising in the run up to Christmas, wear face marks where required and open windows to improve ventilation.”

The Scottish Government will publish updated Covid guidance for businesses later today.

In a further development, HM Treasury has rejected an appeal for additional cash to support Scottish businesses.

Scotland’s finance secretary Kate Forbes wrote to the Chancellor last night, but the UK Government said devolved governments are getting the certainty they had requested.

Doubtless this argument will rumble on …

Scottish Government steps up vaccination programme

Military to support national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme

More than 100 members of the Armed Forces will this week join the national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme.

Some 100 vaccinators and 15 nurses will work across all 11 territorial health boards on the mainland to support the rollout of flu vaccines and coronavirus (COVID-19) injections and boosters.

Vaccinations are being offered to as many people as possible as winter approaches.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been involved in the COVID -19 vaccine rollout in Scotland, including the military, which has ensured more than 8 million first and second doses have been delivered.

“We are now in the midst of an extremely busy period for the national Autumn/Winter vaccination programme with flu and COVID-19 booster injections being  offered to the most vulnerable groups, alongside first COVID-19 jabs to 12-15 year olds.

“With increasing levels of social mixing and close social contact in the colder months, it is expected that COVID-19 will add to the winter pressures usually faced by the NHS. That is why we have again requested military support to complement our existing resources and to ensure we can get even more vaccinations into arms as quickly as possible.

“It remains clear that getting vaccinated is the single most effective step that anyone can take to protect themselves from the most severe disease caused by COVID-19. Anyone who has not yet received their first or second COVID-19 vaccination can check their nearest open access centre on NHS Inform or phone the national vaccination helpline on 0800 030 8013.”

NHS Inform – Information on open access centres 

Further £10 million winter funding for NHS

An additional £10 million is going to health boards across Scotland to bring in a range of measures to get A&E patients to the right care as quickly as possible.

This includes deploying physiotherapists and occupational therapists at A&E units to help triage and treat patients who would otherwise wait to see nursing staff. This will prevent people being admitted to hospital unnecessarily.

The new funding will provide more specialists such as social care workers and Allied Health Professionals on hospital rotas, and extended opening hours for pharmacy and diagnostic services such as scanning and ultrasound to speed up referrals. It will also support extra staff for peak public holidays.

This is on top of the £300 million package of funding announced as part of the Winter Plan to support the NHS.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “As part of the NHS Recovery Plan we have invested £27 million towards the Redesign of Urgent Care to ensure people receive the right care, at the right place. This will add to that work so our hospitals and A&E departments are not overstretched, if some patients can be safely and effectively treated elsewhere.

“Alongside the additional £10 million investment recently announced to prevent delayed discharge and avoid hospital stays, this extra winter funding aims to ease pressures in A&E departments and minimise delays that patients are currently experiencing when they need urgent care.

“Placing physiotherapists and occupational therapists in A&E will stop unnecessary hospital admissions so that, for example, patients with musculoskeletal conditions, chest infections, or those who have suffered a fall, can receive the right care quickly and advice on exercises to support recovery at home and in the community.

“This is not only good news for our NHS, but also better for the public in giving treatment in the right place, so emergency care is available when it’s really needed.”

Earlier this month the Scottish Government announced a record winter funding package of £300 million to increase NHS and social care capacity.

Since then, a further £482 million has been allocated to NHS Boards and Integrated Authorities to deal with the costs of responding to the pandemic

The Scottish Government will be working with health boards over next few weeks to identify what they might need most from this latest £10 million funding.

£5 million for cutting-edge treatments for injured veterans

  • Chancellor expected to provide £5 million at Budget for new UK-wide Veterans’ Health Innovation Fund.
  • Investment will help to ensure veterans who have suffered injuries or mental health challenges receive the most cutting-edge treatments.
  • Innovative new surgery techniques and treatment options for amputees and blast victims to receive funding.

Veterans who have suffered injuries or mental health challenges are set to receive innovative and cutting-edge treatments thanks to a new £5 million fund, the Chancellor is expected to announce next week.

At Wednesday’s Budget and Spending Review, Rishi Sunak will unveil the new UK-wide Veterans’ Health Innovation Fund – which will be used to help develop ground-breaking treatments to help veterans with physical injuries, and those with hard-to-treat mental health injuries such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Between 2001 and March 2021 there were more than 300 UK service personnel whose injuries included a traumatic or surgical amputation as a result of sustained injuries in Afghanistan.

One in ten serving military personnel were also seen by medics for a mental health-related reason last year, while the number of veterans entering psychological therapies on the NHS increased by around 45 percent between 2014 and 2020.

The Veterans’ Health Innovation Fund will provide grants for research into cutting-edge surgery techniques and treatments for amputees and veterans with blast injuries, new treatments for mental health challenges, and new technology to help injured veterans rebuild their lives and participate in work, education and sport. It will also fund research and treatment options for veterans with mild traumatic brain injury.

Grants could fund research into new surgery techniques such as Direct Skeletal Fixation, which enables artificial limbs to be permanently fixed to bones, removing the need to use traditional socket-based technology.

The Fund will also aim to support drug-assisted therapy trials, currently underway in the US and Israel, which have shown promising results in treating patients suffering with PTSD, and could also help with restoring patients’ function after brain injuries.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “We hugely value the sacrifices made by so many brave men and women in our Armed Forces. Supporting injured veterans and those with mental health needs is a crucial part of repaying the huge debt we all owe them.

“This new Fund will help ensure veterans get the support they deserve with the very best ground-breaking research and treatments.”

The fund will be distributed by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) as part of the Government’s commitment to support veterans.

In addition to the new £5 million Veterans’ Health Innovation Fund, the Government has provided £10 million for veterans with mental health needs in both the 2021 and 2020 budgets. These funds are distributed through the AFCFT.

In September 2021, the Prime Minister also announced that Armed Forces charities would receive £5 million in additional funding to support veterans, including those who may be struggling following recent events in Afghanistan.

Raksha bandhan to Say thanks to NHS staff, Police & Armed forces

Hindus of Scotland came together to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, a festival celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters (writes PUNEET DWIVEDI). This is one of the ways Hindus honour and show gratitude to British Armed forces, Police Scotland, NHS Staff and other emergency workers.

Hindu Forum Britain’s Edinburgh based Vice President for Scotland, Mr Puneet Dwivedi has been collaborating with local Hindu temples and organising Raksha Bandhan at different locations in Scotland. 

This year celebration took place in 3 different cities with opening ceremony at Dundee Hindu Temple on Sun 8th of Aug, followed by The Hindu temple of Scotland Rutherglen in Glasgow and finally at capital’s only Hindu temple, Edinburgh Hindu Temple in Leith.

The word ‘Raksha’ means protection and ‘Bandhan’ means to tie.

Normally sisters tie a ‘rakhi’ on the wrist of their brothers as a bond of protection. During Raksha Bandhan, Hindus use decorative bracelets ‘Rakhi; to symbolise bonds of mutual protection.

However, the festival is not limited to just brother and sister, it  includes others who vow for protection (such as the Armed Forces, Police, Fire & Rescue Services or Ambulance and Medical Services) who provide protection on a routine basis. 

The festival is particularly important for Hindus serving in the UK military, because it celebrates their duty to protect society.

Hindus have time and again contributed to the defence of the UK. During the First World War, 1,750,000 Hindus deployed overseas. In the Second World War, over 1.25 million Hindus played a pivotal role in the allied victory.

Raksha bandhan festivals have helped to forge a closer relationship of the Hindu Community with other public services encouraging Hindu youngsters to enter a career in the Parliament, council, Police or Military either on a full-time or part-time basis. 

Mr Puneet Dwivedi, who is a full Time IT Consultant and organised the event as a volunteer, explained his opening speech that Hindus contribute immensely to British and Scottish society in economic development, science and academia but Hindus  fail to make their presence felt in other public service fields like the armed forces, Police and politics.

Until the last election there were no MPs or MSPs from Hindu community, until Dr Sandesh Gulhane – who was present at the ceremony – became the first Hindu MSP in the Scottish Parliament.

He wants to encourage Scottish Hindus to take up more jobs as MP, MSP , Police and in the Army and integrate well with Scottish Society . He mentioned his special thanks to Flt Lt Tracy McGowan who has kindly helped him over last four years to organise  Raksha bandhan as part of ongoing tri-service engagement partnerships.

Indian Consul General Mr Bijay Selvaraj (above) said: “If you had food to eat, thanks to the farmer, if you are set well and safe thanks to the Policeman on the street and the Army that guard the border.

“Having friends in the armed forces and police back home in India, I know how difficult the job is, and through Raksha Bandhan we want to  convey Thank you to you all.”

The first MSP from Hindu Community Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “For Me Rakshabandhan really talks about Unity, unity of brother & sister, unity of communities -we are stronger if we are together, being a doctor I have we have shown this unity during this pandemic.

As the first Indian Hindu MSP we want the community to work together as one voice.”

The representative of armed forces and police thanked the Edinburgh Hindu temple volunteers  and Hindu Forum for inviting and honouring them. During these unprecedented times, the value of community spirit has proved to be necessary more than ever.

This past 16 months has put a different perspective and places of worship have to adapt to the ever changing government guidelines. 

All the 3 temples were very happy to reopen their doors for a public function after a long time. These celebrations are fitting tribute to all the protectors of the society, especially NHS workers who played a pivotal role during this pandemic along with members of the police, the Royal Air Force, the Army and the Royal Navy and other emergency services.

8th Aug 2021 at Dundee:  organised at Tayside community centre by Dundee Hindu temple committee (Mrs Naina Penman, Pooja Sharma & other) attended by Dundee West councillor Fraser MacPherson, Deputy Consul General Satya Veer Singh, Chief Inspector Leanne Blacklaw and fire service officer Lewis Duncan. Army-Major Heather Lawrie, Warrant Officer Ashok Chauhan, Opening prayers by the Hindu Chaplain Acharya Krishanji, RAF-Sergeant Sandy Neill, Sergeant Shiv Chand, Sergeant Al Cameron, Royal Navy-    Petty Officer Gav Adamson

15th Aug 2021 at Glasgow :  Organised by The Hindu  Forum in Scotland in association with the Temple of Scotland committee member headed by Mr Mr Kuppuswamy Jagannathan Attended by Margaret Ferrier, MP of Rutherglen and Hamilton west. Army- Lieutenant Caitlin Irvine,  Royal Navy-Lieutenant Commander Niall Copeland, RAF -Squadron Leader Sohail Khan,Sergeant Sandy Neill, Jim Snedden, Station Commander Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and 2 Community Police Scotland officers

Military drafted in to help increase number of vaccination appointments in Lothian

Race is on to combat Delta (Indian) variant

As the national vaccination programme continues to progress through younger age groups on the priority list, members of the Armed Forces have again been asked to help accelerate the roll-out.

The Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Boards to ensure the number of appointments can be increased in line with national guidance to help combat new variants and provide protection to as many people as possible.

This includes military support and NHS Lothian and NHS Lanarkshire have requested this to enable them to boost their capacity to administer second doses alongside the delivery of first doses to younger cohorts.

Military personnel will therefore assist with vaccinations from Monday 7 June in these areas for up to five weeks.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been involved in the vaccine rollout in Scotland, including the military, which has ensured more than 2 million people have received both doses.

“We remain on track to offer the vaccine to all adults by the end of July, but the emergence of the new variant shows that we cannot be complacent. That is why, as we have done previously, we have requested military support to complement our existing resources and to ensure we can get even more vaccinations into arms as quickly as possible.

“The vaccination programme is one of the main ways – along with restrictions and testing – that we are working to beat this virus and so it is crucial that everyone attends for their appointments when they are offered. That includes going for second doses as they are vital in providing greater and longer lasting protection against the virus.”

The Armed Forces have been working to support the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine programme with new deployments planned in Scotland and North West England.

Working together with local health boards and the NHS, personnel are part of Operation Rescript, the Armed Forces Covid-19 response. They are providing ongoing assistance to administer vaccines, provide logistics and planning support, as well as carrying out surge testing in response to variants of concern.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, said:
The Armed Forces continue to show their incredible versatility and flexibility, deploying wherever and whenever they are needed in support of this national vaccination effort.

I am delighted to see that across all corners of the UK, military personnel are working side by side with their NHS counterparts to help get the British public vaccinated as quickly as possible.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said: “We have vaccinated over three quarters of UK adults with a first dose and half of adults with a second dose. That is a huge effort across the healthcare system and beyond – and I am incredibly grateful for the amazing role our armed forces have played in this.

“We know how effective the vaccine is, thousands of lives have been saved and thousands of hospitalisations prevented. These are not just numbers, these are our family, friends and loved ones who have all been protected. Each vaccine brings us one step closer to putting this pandemic behind us. So when you get the call, get the jab.”

Commander Standing Joint Command, General Tyrone Urch said: “I am incredibly proud of our servicemen and women who have deployed in support of the Department for Health and Social Care, NHS and Health Boards across the United Kingdom to help deliver the vaccination programme efficiently and at pace.

“We are delighted to be able to support and complement the incredible work done by health professionals and volunteers across the country and we will continue to deliver anything requested of us.”

As part of the UK Government’s response to variants of concern, 400 trained vaccinators from across the Armed Forces are available to be deploy when and wherever required. 4,300 service personnel also remain at high readiness and can be called upon to support with Covid-19 tasks across the UK.

This comes in addition to support the Armed Forces have provided around the world, including delivering vaccines to Ascension Island, Falklands, Gibraltar and Tristan da Cunha, and delivering other essential COVID supplies to India and Nepal.

63 members of the Armed Forces will deploy to Lanarkshire and Lothian from Monday 7 June for up to five weeks.

42 service personnel will provide support to NHS Lothian. This will be made up of 36 vaccinators, 4 registered health professionals and 2 command and control managers. They will be split into 4 vaccine support teams who can deploy across Lothian as required.

21 service personnel will also work alongside NHS Lanarkshire and will consist of 18 vaccinators, 2 registered health professionals and one command and control manager. They will form two vaccine support teams and will deploy across Lanarkshire as required.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “This support from the armed forces gives NHS Lothian a boost in the vaccination race against Covid-19, just when they need it.

“The armed forces played an important role in getting vaccination centres up and running and the extra support they are offering now is extremely welcome.

“The professionalism from NHS Lothian staff in the vaccination programme has been outstanding and if the momentum is kept up they’ll be on top of the second doses soon.”

Armed Forces personnel deployed to support UK’s Covid response

Over 5,000 Armed Forces personnel are currently deployed to support the response to the Coronavirus across the UK, working on 70 different tasks ranging from schools testing to the rollout of vaccines.


This is more than at any previous point in the pandemic and the biggest homeland operation the UK has ever seen in peacetime. Thousands more are supporting efforts through their day jobs in military planning, Defence Medical Services, Defence Science and Technology Laboratories and elsewhere.

More military personnel are being deployed to support community testing in:

  • Manchester – 800 personnel providing community testing support to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority
    • Kent – 390 personnel will support community testing
    • Swadlincote, Derbyshire – 130 personnel to establish and operate four lateral flow testing sites
    • Kirklees, Yorkshire – 75 personnel to establish and operate four lateral flow testing sites
    • Lancashire – 420 personnel to support asymptomatic testing

Another large scale task starts in Manchester today, with 800 personnel deploying from nine regiments across the British Army at the request of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), through the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

These personnel will prepare to work across all ten local authority areas of Greater Manchester to carry out targeted asymptomatic testing of specific populations that may be at a higher risk of infection including social care staff, key workers, public facing occupations such as bus drivers, and those in high risk environments such care homes and shared accommodation for the homeless.

The task builds on lessons from previous asymptomatic community testing in Liverpool, Lancashire, Merthyr Tydfil, Medway, and Kirklees.

In addition to community testing, military personnel remain on-task testing hauliers in Dover and helping to establish ten new testing sites to improve the flow of traffic across the Channel. As of today, 515 personnel are on task in Kent and elsewhere providing testing to hauliers.

1,500 Armed Forces personnel have also been provided to support schools testing, with local response teams providing virtual support and phone advice to institutions. Personnel also on standby to deploy at short notice to provide in-person support. Testing will continue as planned with two rapid Lateral Flow Tests available to all secondary school and college students and staff at the start of term to identify asymptomatic cases, break chains of transmission and beat the virus.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The new year will see new levels of Armed Forces support to overcoming this pandemic. Thousands of service personnel are working throughout the United Kingdom, wherever they are needed to assist the civil authorities.

“Manchester is the latest of those tasks and will be an important contribution to protecting the highest risk groups as the city seeks to recover. As a North West MP I am acutely aware of the considerable time many of us have been labouring under some form of lockdown and I hope our soldiers will help us get to the day when these restrictions will start to lift.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We are enormously grateful to the Armed Forces for lending their support to these important community testing programmes. Around one in three people with coronavirus showing no symptoms, asymptomatic testing is crucial to identifying those who might be unknowingly infected, and protecting our most vulnerable.

“These community testing schemes are part of a national testing programme with millions of lateral flow tests arriving in schools tomorrow, for the testing of students and staff, to add to the hundreds of thousands of asymptomatic tests currently being conducted in care homes, across the NHS and in critical infrastructure workplaces and food manufacturers.

“While the Army, alongside thousands of medical professionals and volunteers, help roll out the vaccination programme, we must remember that the first line of defence against the virus remains to wash our hands, cover our faces and keep space.”

Lt Gen Sir Tyrone Urch KBE, Commander Standing Joint Commander UK said: “I am incredibly proud of all the servicemen and women who have worked tirelessly for most of this year on Operation RESCRIPT, the military effort in support of the government’s campaign to tackle COVID-19.

“In recent weeks, our amazing staff have deployed at short notice to set up and staff community testing centres across the country in support of the NHS, DHSC, Devolved Nations and local communities.

“They have conducted a successful testing pilot in schools and contributed to vaccine rollout planning. Both Regular and Reservist personnel stepped up on Christmas Eve to help clear the backlog of trucks in Kent, setting up testing facilities overnight when they would otherwise have been spending the festive period with their families.

“I am humbled by the sacrifice and dedication of all our people from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force as we continue to contribute to our nation’s fight against the coronavirus.”

The MoD has deployed 10 military planners to assist the Vaccine Task Force, with over 150 personnel deployed across the UK to support organisational and logistical components of the Deployment Programme.

Two separate military planners are seconded to support the Vaccine Task Force Director. Additionally, 20 personnel are assisting with regional vaccine planning, end-to-end logistics and delivery.

From 11th January a Vaccine Quick Reaction Force is being established, with their training for the role beginning today. This will initially be 21 teams of six personnel assigned to the seven NHS England regions, able to provide surge support to the vaccine roll-out if required by local health authorities.

In Scotland, military planners are supporting the testing and vaccine programmes.

Earlier during the pandemic Armed Forces personnel supported healthcare professionals to deliver testing at Glasgow Airport, and RAF Puma helicopters were deployed to Kinloss Barracks in Moray to provide emergency assistance to NHS boards and trusts across Scotland.

In Wales, 90 service personnel are deployed to support Health Boards in rapidly establishing and operating vaccination centres. For the first-time trained defence medics will also support the administering of the vaccine. Ninety-four military personnel, including medics and drivers, have embedded with the Welsh Ambulance NHS Trust to support them by driving Ambulances.

In Northern Ireland the Defence Estate is being loaned to the PSNI for their use and the Armed Forces have placed medevac capabilities on standby for Covid-19 patients when needed.